Green Party parliamentary candidate Rob White has blamed the Government’s “austerity obsession” for the plight of 768 families in Reading hit by the bedroom tax.

The figure means Reading is 10th in the top 10 worst affected local authority areas in the South East.

Recently released data showed 768 households in Reading had their housing benefit reduced.

The average amount lost per person in the borough because of the so-called ‘bedroom tax’ in the Welfare Reform Act of 2012 was £991.25 per year.

Cllr White, who is also a borough councillor representing Park ward, said: “These figures show the devastating extent to which this Government is affecting the lives of ordinary people.

“It’s astonishing that a Government can tax people for having a spare room when there simply aren’t enough smaller houses to move into, while at the same time cutting taxes for high earners.

“In Reading East people are struggling as the Government’s austerity obsession hits home. Whilst benefits are cut and wages stagnate the cost of living, from buying food to the price of accommodation, is skyrocketing.

“This new data confirms that we have a Government which safeguards the wealth of the rich while punishing the poor.”

Commenting with a South East perspective, Green Euro MP Keith Taylor said: “The National Housing Federation estimate that 25,000 disabled people in the South East are affected by the surcharge for empty rooms, this is unfair.

“Though some councils, like the Green administration in Brighton, have publicly brought forward ‘no eviction’ policies, many people are living in fear of being kicked out of their homes. This is intolerable.”

The National Housing Federation’s south east external affairs manager, Warren Finney, said: “These new Government figures show that bedroom tax is affecting thousands of people in the South East – for many, there isn’t even anywhere for them to downsize to.

“There simply aren’t enough smaller social homes available, and the cost of private rented housing is rising all the time.

“The South East is particularly hard hit with people here facing the biggest cut in their housing benefit outside London.

“The Government says discretionary housing payments will help those who cannot downsize, but there isn’t anywhere near enough money to go round.

“The bedroom tax is trapping many people in homes they can no longer afford and where they are struggling to pay their rents.